Page 127 of Family Bonds- Emma & Warren

“My head,” he said. He went to lift his hand to touch it, but they held it down.

“Anything else? Your neck or back?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“We’re going to get you on the stretcher. Everyone move back.”

He had enough wits about him to breathe in and out deeply as he tried to listen to what was being told of him and fight back the vomit.

The jarring of getting him on the stretcher and strapping him down was something he didn’t want to even think about.

He felt his limbs. He was wiggling his toes and fingers.

Everything seemed to be connected the way it should, but he might wish his head wasn’t on his shoulders with the throbbing and vibrating inside his skull.

He was thinking of Emma and his mother and sisters and moved his forearm and lifted it to give a thumbs up. He knew his actions would be televised, letting them know he was alright.

Or he hoped he was.

He was resting in the hospital bed hours later. At least he thought it was as he’d lost track of time. Doctors ran all sorts of scans and determined that nothing was injured other than his noggin.

He’d lost consciousness for about six minutes, he’d been told. He remembered throwing up in the ambulance and them turning him so he didn’t choke.

Most of the time he’d been here blurred together.

The door opened. “Oh my God. Can I hug you?”

It was Emma rushing toward him and then stopping short of his bed.

“Yes,” he said. “Don’t jar me though.”

She leaned down gently and laid her head on his chest, her hand reaching for his and holding it. “Your mother is on the way with Stephanie. They should be here soon.”

“How did you get here so fast?” he asked.

“Egan,” she said. “I saw it on TV and called. We were in the air thirty minutes later. He was watching Kaden while Blake was running errands. He had to wait for her to get home and thendrive there. I hadn’t showered yet, so you know, it allowed me to do that.”

He forced a smile. At least he thought he smiled. “Talk slower,” he said. “I can’t process. Who is Blake?”

Emma took a deep breath and then another. He could tell she was worried, but he couldn’t do much about it. “Egan’s wife. I get it. It’s a big family and you haven’t met her yet.”

“No,” he said. “You said my mother is coming?” He was talking slowly, trying to form his words and thoughts.

He looked into her eyes and saw the concern. Her hand was shaking against his. “Yes. She’s in the car with Stephanie. Do you know what happened?”

“I got my bell rung,” he said.

“And then some,” she said.

“How did you know where I was?” he asked.

“I called Lily, who then was able to find Mike’s number. He’s been keeping me up to date on what was going on.”

“I want to go home,” he said. “You’ve got pull, get me out of here. Egan can fly me home, right?”

She smiled. “I’m sure he could. He’s waiting right now until it’s decided where I need to go or how long I’ll be here.”

She turned when the door opened and he saw the doctor he’d been talking to before come in.